Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-10-13

In this age of inquiry and scientific
investigation many American readers
will doubtless pernse with interest the
following brief account of the proceed
ings at the recent annual meeting of
Victoria Institute, London:
Her Majesty the Queen having on
two occasions during the past year
sent messages to the Victoria Institute
signifying her pleasure in accepting
the volumes of its Journal, and the
fact that its annual address was to be
delivered by its recently-elected Presi-
dent, Prof. G. G. Stokes, the President
of the Royal Society, caused special in
terest to attach to its annual gather
ing at z, Adelphi Terrace. London.
A large company, therefore, assem-
bled. Captain Francis Petrie, the hon
orary secretary. read the report, show
ing that the numbers of home, colonial
and American members and associates
now reached twelve hundred.
The President delivered his address.
He said that he proposed to address a
few words to them bearing upon the
object of the institute, and upon the
spirit in which, as he conceived, that OBJ
ject was to be carried out. The high
est aim of physical science was, as far
as might be possible, to refer observed
phenomena to their proximate causes.
He by no means said that this was the
immediate, or even necessarily the ul.
innate, object of every physical inves-
tigation. Sometimes their object was
to investigate facts, or to coordinate
known facts and endeavor to discover
empirical laws. These were useful as
far as they went, and might ultimately
lead to the formation of theories which,
in the end, should stand the test Of
what he might call cross-examinatior
by nature so that we became impressed
with the conviction of their truth
Sometimes their object was the deter
mination of numerical constants, with
a view, it might be, to the practical ap'
LEGATION of science to the wants of life
IN scientific ipvestigation they en-
deavored to ascend from observed
phenomena to their proximate causes
But, when they had arrived at these
the question presented itself: Coult
we, in similar manner, regard thes'
causes, in turn, as themselves the con
sequences of some cause stretching
still further back in the chain of causa
ton till a time well on in the past9 w
could only take the elasticity OF gase
as fact and deduce the consequence
which flowed from it. Respecting thu
attraction of gravitation, we had no
at present made similar advance
Spcculations, indeed, had not beel
wanting on the part of those who ha'
endeavored to account for it. But non
of these so fitted into the know
phenomena of nature as to carry witt
il conviction of its truth. Yet Their
was one indication that though w
could not at present explain the caus
of gravitation. yet it might be explica
BILE by what were called second causes
and there was some prospect OF scien
tific men being able some day to ex
plain it as the result OF some still
higher law.
Such was the nature of our progres
in scientific investigation. We col
lected facts; we endeavored to co-ordi
nate them, and ascertain the law
which bound them together; we en-
deavored to refer these laws to thei
proximate causes, and to proceed ste
by step upward in the chain OF Gauss
ton. Presently we arrived at stag
at which even after long trial we di
not see our way to going further. "
we were not able to demonstrate ths
further grogress in the same directio
that was, along the chain OF secont
ary causation-was impossible. Sc
ence conducted us to void which sh
could not further fill.
Itwas on other grounds that we wei
led to believe in Being who was tn
Author of Nature, The subject-mattt
of scientific study was not at least d
rectly theistic, and there had been
few instances of eminent scientists WI
not merely rejected Christianity b.
apparently did not as yet oelieVe
the being of God. The religions maj
on the other hand, who knew little
nothing of science. was in the habit
contemplating the order of nature NJ
merely as the work of God but in vei el
great measure as His direct work. 81
when we got beyond the region Of wh'